Finding Beauty

I do this thing were I call my friends beautiful. Sometimes I text them just so I can tell them they’re beautiful. I say: “Hey beautiful, how’s your day going?” I do it because in today’s society sometimes we forget that we are beautiful. I listen to my friends complain about the weight they’ve put on since high school, how their eyebrows look, how their face breaks out, how their hair wouldn’t lay flat today and I just can’t help but laugh sometimes. To me none of that matters. Sometimes when I tell them they’re beautiful they laugh and say something to the effect of “I didn’t even try today.” I always laugh back and reinforce what I just told them. Sometimes I tell people how pretty their hair is and they tell me all they did is brush it today. My point here is that I find people beautiful.

Now I’m not saying I’ve never seen someone and thought: “You hit every branch on the way down from the ugly tree,” but after I think it (or sometimes say it to whomever I’m with) I feel bad. I feel bad because I know that God thinks they're beautiful. I prayed a long time ago that I would be able to see people and the world for the beautiful creation that they are/it is. Even though I think I do this better than some, I still fail. I’m human and sometimes I don’t quite hit the target. But I’m trying.

But here’s the thing: sometimes I miss the beauty in myself. I see the numbers on the scale and I feel fat and ugly. I realize that I haven’t gone on a date since high school and I think that it’s because I’m just not attractive. I’m sharing this insecurity with you guys because I think this is something we all struggle with. Not the no dating thing, but the failing to find our own beauty. I pray that God would help me see the beauty of the world and its inhabitants, but I failed to include myself in this prayer. So a month or so ago I decided to start trying to find beauty in myself. I started taking care of myself better. I try and wear cute clothes, makeup, fix my hair and smell good, and it’s amazing the difference it makes.

So this is my challenge to you: pray that God will help you see how beautiful all of his creation is, including the people that we typically find unattractive. And then pray that God would help you see your own beauty. I think if we can start to focus on the beauty of His creation we would be much better people. So have a great day and tell somebody and yourself “you’re beautiful.”

Love, Randi